Red Hot Chili Peppers Pay Tribute to Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins
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Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers (Jim Bennett/WireImage) + Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters (Rich Fury/Getty Images)
According to sources on nola.com and social media, the Red Hot Chili Peppers paid tribute to late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins at Jazz Fest in New Orleans on Sunday, as leader Dave Grohl, Hawkins’ widow Alison, and other Foo Fighters members watched on from the wings.
Hawkins’ close buddy, Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, had “Taylor” spelt out on his bass drum, encircled by a hawk silhouette similar to the one on Hawkins’ arm.
Following Hawkins’ death, all tour dates were canceled
The Foo Fighters were supposed to headline Jazz Fest, but they cancelled all of their tour dates after Hawkins died on March 25. Grohl’s appearance in town over the weekend fuelled rumours that he would perform. That didn’t happen, but near the end of the Foo Fighters’ 90-minute show, Smith stepped to the front of the stage, took the microphone, and said, “We love the Foo Fighters, and we love our brother Taylor Hawkins.” Being able to play for them has meant a lot to us.”
“We love you, Taylor!” he led the crowd in chanting.
Ivan Neville’s band Dumpstaphunk paid tribute to the Foo Fighters by playing their single “Best of You” during the set immediately before the Peppers’.
Smith paid tribute to Hawkins with a heart touching video
The Peppers dubbed their set a “celebration of Hawkins’ life” a few days before the show. A few days after Hawkins’ passing, Smith shared a moving video homage to their time together.
Smith told Billboard, “We’re taking Alison, his wife, with us, and it’s going to be a celebration.” “That’s exactly what she’s looking for.” ‘Let’s celebrate music, let’s celebrate our friends, let’s celebrate Taylor,’ she says, and she means it. This is what he would want, and he would be overjoyed that you guys are here to perform, and he would hope for nothing but a good time.’ So we’re going to do all of that, and she’ll be a part of it, and I’m extremely grateful that we’ll be able to do it with her.
Hawkins’ death was not officially determined, but medical officials in Colombia, where he died before the group was scheduled to perform at a festival, reported he had numerous substances in his system at the time of his death.
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Ankita Khanrah
Ankita Khanrah is a second-year student of the Master of Communication and Journalism (Integrated) programme at the School of Mass Communication, KIIT Deemed University, Bhubaneswar.
